The local blood bank is currently facing a severe shortage of several different blood types. This is a consequence of all the activities that surround the holidays, causing the number of people donating blood to drop.
Nancy Martin, blood services coordinator for the Bulloch County chapter of the American Red Cross, said there’s a severe shortage of type O, type B and type A negative blood throughout the southern region.
“We need eligible donors to immediately come and give blood to help us avert a crisis for our patients,” said Martin. “We usually see a drastic decline in donations around the end of the year and it causes a shortage beginning in January.”
Type O and type B are the most commonly used blood types and are needed to treat patients every single day. O negative blood can be used for all patients, but is essential to the treatments of trauma patients, newborns and pregnant women.
The American Red Cross is encouraging everyone that can give to donate blood as soon as possible. Since there are never enough blood donations made in Georgia to provide adequate blood for patients in this state, oftentimes blood must be brought in from other states to routinely meet the needs here.
The southern region needs 1,200 donations a day in order to adequately supply more than 130 hospital and healthcare faculties in the state. Donors must be age 17 or older and weigh at least 110 pounds.
For more information or to schedule a blood drive, contact Martin at (912) 663-6721.
Nancy Martin, blood services coordinator for the Bulloch County chapter of the American Red Cross, said there’s a severe shortage of type O, type B and type A negative blood throughout the southern region.
“We need eligible donors to immediately come and give blood to help us avert a crisis for our patients,” said Martin. “We usually see a drastic decline in donations around the end of the year and it causes a shortage beginning in January.”
Type O and type B are the most commonly used blood types and are needed to treat patients every single day. O negative blood can be used for all patients, but is essential to the treatments of trauma patients, newborns and pregnant women.
The American Red Cross is encouraging everyone that can give to donate blood as soon as possible. Since there are never enough blood donations made in Georgia to provide adequate blood for patients in this state, oftentimes blood must be brought in from other states to routinely meet the needs here.
The southern region needs 1,200 donations a day in order to adequately supply more than 130 hospital and healthcare faculties in the state. Donors must be age 17 or older and weigh at least 110 pounds.
For more information or to schedule a blood drive, contact Martin at (912) 663-6721.